In September 2008, the MAVEN project, a Mars orbiter, was chosen as an upcoming NASA exploration mission. The probe was launched on November 18, 2013. Jakosky is serving as the MAVEN's principal investigator. The $485 million program represents the largest research contract ever awarded to the University of Colorado at Boulder.[2]

Jakosky confirmed that MAVEN had entered Martian orbit on September 22, 2014.[3]